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Clifford P Carlson Elementary School

Q: Is Clifford P Carlson Elementary School a good school?

Clifford P Carlson Elementary School ranks 1299 th of 1737 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1299^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,737 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Clifford P Carlson Elementary School serves 390 students in kindergarten through grade 5 in Rockford and is part of Rockford School District 205. Its results tell a mixed story: Carlson does better than many nearby schools and its district in English language arts (ELA) and math, but remains below state levels in both.

In 2025–2026, Carlson had 45% proficiency in ELA and 30% in math—10 and 9 percentage points above the district, but 11 and 9 points below the state, respectively. It ranked third of nine nearby schools in both subjects; its results were also above the nearby-school averages of 36% in ELA and 26% in math. Results differ by grade: fourth-grade ELA was 53%, just 3 points below the state, while fifth-grade math was 21%, 15 points below the state and sixth of seven nearby schools with a reported score. Fifth-grade science was 36%, above the district’s 30% but below the state’s 48% and the nearby-school average of 38%; Carlson ranked fifth of nine nearby schools with reported scores.

Scores have risen since 2023–2024: ELA gained 9 percentage points and math 12. However, the ELA gap with the state widened from 5 to 11 points, while the math gap narrowed from 10 to 9. Chronic absenteeism fell 32 points, to 35% in 2025–2026, but remained 12 points above the state rate. SchoolDigger ranked Carlson 1,299th of 1,737 schools, at the 25th percentile with one star, down from the 50th percentile in 2023–2024. In 2024–2025, its student-teacher ratio was 17.8, compared with 14.6 at nearby comparison schools; 75% of students were eligible for free/reduced lunch, compared with a nearby-school average of about 65%. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings also shifted: its ranking for Low Socio Economic Status Students fell from the 76th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 35th in 2025–2026, while its ranking for Male Students was at the 10th percentile in 2025–2026, below Carlson’s 25th-percentile overall standing.

390

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,903

Per pupil spending ?

74.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

98.1%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

4015 Pepper Dr
Rockford, IL 61114-5280

(815) 654-4955

District: Rockford School District 205

Students who attend Clifford P Carlson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Eisenhower Middle School
	Thurgood Marshall School
High:	Guilford High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

36.4%

White:

27.9%

African American:

23.3%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Clifford P Carlson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (37% vs 48% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 24% Illinois)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg29%

Illinois avg48%

1,299^th of 1,737

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 23Elementary Schools in the Rockford School District 205

672^nd of 738Rockford School District 205 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	1299 of 1737	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.0	1461 of 2056	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.9	1024 of 2067	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.1	1498 of 2077	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	1281 of 2082	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.2	1380 of 1948	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.7	1563 of 2086	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.4	1462 of 2037	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.3	1460 of 2044	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	31.7	1380 of 2046	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	56.7	767 of 2052	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.5	1158 of 2093	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	30.3	1584 of 2167	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	21.0	1835 of 2166	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.5	1687 of 2147	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.1	1594 of 2139	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	39.1	1484 of 2120	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	22.5	1736 of 2092	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	33.0	1638 of 2095	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	31.6	1648 of 2086	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.0	1637 of 2022	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	22.5	1683 of 2030	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	25.0	1610 of 2020	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	484 of 688	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.6	359 of 655	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	280 of 692	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	310 of 684	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.8	128 of 428	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	29.9	530 of 711	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.4	320 of 698	54.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2019	61.3	158 of 743	78.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	32.8	882 of 1286	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.5	1382 of 1942	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.2	837 of 1942	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.2	1412 of 1957	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.2	1173 of 1970	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.4	1237 of 1680	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.7	1588 of 2019	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	1296 of 1964	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.2	611 of 982	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.7	265 of 959	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	21.8	861 of 970	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.5	610 of 955	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	625 of 938	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	648 of 1001	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	1119 of 1800	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.5	434 of 1793	75.8%	★★★★☆
2023	37.7	1101 of 1808	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.2	998 of 1763	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.9	834 of 1514	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.8	1317 of 1816	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.1	1414 of 1765	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	1182 of 1311	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	28.6	1374 of 1947	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.3	1100 of 1959	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.8	1410 of 1984	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.0	1223 of 1977	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.1	1294 of 1707	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.9	1434 of 2019	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.8	1451 of 1972	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	22.2	1024 of 1113	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.0	462 of 640	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.7	743 of 1194	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.3	1241 of 1389	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.2	858 of 1392	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.9	1228 of 1419	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	1157 of 1425	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.7	1126 of 1308	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.9	1165 of 1462	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.3	1086 of 1463	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2019)79th percentile+54 vs school

Hispanic (2025)38th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)35th percentile+10 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)30th percentile~ school

White (2025)11th percentile-18 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2022)8th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts45%-11 vs state

Science36%-11 vs state

Mathematics30%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Clifford P Carlson Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISA Science (2026)		IAR English Language Arts (2026)							IAR Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	Vaccination: Measles protection (all grades)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Clifford P Carlson Elementary School	Public	K-5	4015 Pepper Dr	Rockford	61114	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 654-4955	390	22	17.8	74.6%	109 (27.9%)	91 (23.3%)	142 (36.4%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (11.3%)	23.6	1299^th of 1737 public elementary schools	25.2%		29	1461^st of 2056 public elementary schools	28.9%	162	36.2		35.2	52.9	48.9				45.2	32.4	34.3	21.3				30.3	98.1%		$14,903	$1,311	$13,592
Montessori School	Public	PK, KG-8	2021 Hawthorne Dr	Rockford	61107	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 654-4906	660	39	16.8	36.4%	335 (50.8%)	110 (16.7%)	128 (19.4%)	13 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	73 (11.1%)	40.4	998^th of 1737 public elementary schools	42.5%		47.6	1050^th of 2056 public elementary schools	48.9%	52	50.0	55.9	47.1	67.2	52.9	62.9	55.7	62.7	58.0	45.6	38.8	25.0	28.6	32.8	49.2	36.4	96.3%		$14,410	$490	$13,921
Spring Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	5222 Spring Creek Rd	Rockford	61114	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 654-4960	523	33	15.6	53.0%	211 (40.3%)	102 (19.5%)	121 (23.1%)	46 (8.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (7.6%)	27.9	1218^th of 1737 public elementary schools	29.9%		31.7	1393^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	32.2%	175	44.4		36.9	57.1	49.1				47.3	35.3	35.7	18.5				28.5	96.4%		$16,475	$1,076	$15,399
Loves Park Elementary School	Public	1-5	344 Grand Ave	Loves Park	61111	Winnebago County	Harlem UD 122	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 654-4501	279	25	11.2	76.3%	154 (55.2%)	40 (14.3%)	43 (15.4%)	6 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (12.5%)	21.8	1343^rd of 1737 public elementary schools	22.7%		34.9	1317^th of 2056 public elementary schools	35.9%	26	37.8			30.3	48.9				29.5		16.7	37.8				21.1	96.4%		$20,508	$2,067	$18,442
Windsor Elementary School	Public	1-5	935 Windsor Rd	Loves Park	61111	Winnebago County	Harlem UD 122	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 654-4507	315	27	11.6	70.2%	209 (66.3%)	24 (7.6%)	45 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (11.4%)	12	1561^st of 1737 public elementary schools	10.1%		29.4	1448^th of 2056 public elementary schools	29.6%	113	34.8		23.9	32.8	42.6				33.2	22.4	19.4					16.8	97.9%		$21,504	$2,116	$19,388
Brookview Elementary School	Public	K-5	1750 Madron Rd	Rockford	61107	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 229-2492	484	28	17.3	55.6%	187 (38.6%)	108 (22.3%)	126 (26.0%)	24 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (7.6%)	39	1026^th of 1737 public elementary schools	40.9%		59.2	827^th of 2056 public elementary schools	59.8%	199	43.3		58.3	62.1	45.1				55.2	41.7	45.3	25.3				37.4	96.5%		$13,691	$804	$12,886
C Henry Bloom Elementary School	Public	K-5	2912 Brendenwood Rd	Rockford	61107	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 229-2170	426	24	18.1	79.1%	106 (24.9%)	152 (35.7%)	102 (23.9%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (13.4%)	6.3	1675^th of 1737 public elementary schools	3.6%		14.4	1808^th of 2056 public elementary schools	12.1%	133	17.3		21.9	30.8	33.3				28.8	18.1		13.3				13.8	93%		$14,702	$1,195	$13,507
Maple Elementary School	Public	1-5	1405 Maple Ave	Loves Park	61111	Winnebago County	Harlem UD 122	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 654-4502	313	24	13.1	74.8%	185 (59.1%)	29 (9.3%)	67 (21.4%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.3%)	26.8	1243^rd of 1737 public elementary schools	28.4%		34.5	1327^th of 2056 public elementary schools	35.5%	84	52.5		36.4	43.2	41.5				40.2	25.0	37.8	34.1				32.0	98.9%		$16,679	$1,548	$15,131
Maud E Johnson Elementary School	Public	K-5	3805 Rural St	Rockford	61107	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 229-2485	425	29	14.6	72.0%	130 (30.6%)	96 (22.6%)	124 (29.2%)	22 (5.2%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	46 (10.8%)	15.4	1488^th of 1737 public elementary schools	14.3%		25.9	1541^st of 2056 public elementary schools	25.0%	53	26.7		19.4	19.1	45.0				27.4	41.9		28.3				25.8	96.9%		$17,222	$1,542	$15,680
Rock Cut Elementary School	Public	1-5	7944 Forest Hills Rd	Loves Park	61111	Winnebago County	Harlem UD 122	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 654-4506	261	20	13.0	67.4%	155 (59.4%)	18 (6.9%)	49 (18.8%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (13.0%)	16.8	1448^th of 1737 public elementary schools	16.6%		17.2	1738^th of 2056 public elementary schools	15.5%	290			29.2	36.0	22.7				29.6	43.8	34.0					28.9	95.1%		$18,831	$1,986	$16,846

Frequently Asked Questions about Clifford P Carlson Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Clifford P Carlson Elementary School?

Students at Clifford P Carlson Elementary School are 36% Hispanic, 28% White, 23% African American, 11% Two or more races.

How many students attend Clifford P Carlson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 390 students attended Clifford P Carlson Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Clifford P Carlson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Clifford P Carlson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eisenhower Middle School
Middle : Thurgood Marshall School
High : Guilford High School

Is Clifford P Carlson Elementary School a good school?

Clifford P Carlson Elementary School ranks 1299^th of 1737 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Clifford P Carlson Elementary School in?

Rockford School District 205

Rate Clifford P Carlson Elementary School!

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresNewOct 30, 2026

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.